Thursday, February 22, 2007

Butternut squash & potato tortelli

I'm so happy to see many of you, Asian and non-Asian, celebrated the Chinese New Year on your blogs :) :) But on the new year day I had a hang-over and felt so sick. Couldn't afford on ginseng (folk remedy), I kept drinking ginger tea for a whole day, and even made myself a ginger pudding, planning to post it and show you guys how drunk I had been! But now I just want the whole episode totally over, no more booze, only goodie-goodie girl (well, let see how long I can last); allow me to start over again with this simple and rustic pasta.

I'm attracted to two different filled pasta dishes, potato and butternut squash respectively. They're both prepared in a very similar way, and both scented by the tantalizing nutmeg flavor. Since I like the color of butternut squash, and adore the texture of potato, so I combined the two. For me cooking has no rocket science, all come down to my taste and my mood... oh yeah, on that day I made the tortelli I was a bit playful; changed the pasta to a triangle shape.

Ingredients (adapted from In Nonna's Kitchen)
(yield: 2 servings as main course)

For topping: spoonfuls of butter, 2 tomatoes, diced, more Parmigiano-Reggiano

* saute the butternut squash over very low heat, no water added. The filling has to be thick, wet filling will ruin the pasta

Direction:

Roll out the pasta sheets and stop at the second-last setting. In this recipe I call for two sheets. Cover them and even keep in fridge while preparing the filling.

Well combine potato, butternut squash, nutmeg, salt and cheese.

Slightly flour the work table, lay a pasta sheet down, cut out circles with a 21/2-inch cookie cutter. Brush a little water around the circumference of a circle and set a teaspoon of filling, brush some water on the the circumference of the second circle, cover, press the edges together a fork. (note: always cover any pasta that you aren't working on)

Bring a large pot of water to boil (you proceeding the topping at the same time, next step), add some salt, cook the pasta 2 - 4 minutes.

Saute butter and tomato for 2 minutes. When the pasta's done, drain immediately, I like to toss them directly on the pan. Add cheese.

Sher, hehee... After I tried on your butternut sqash soup, I'm hooked on this veg! :D

Peabody, yeah?! My family here doesn't cook butternut squash nor pumpkin, my mom used to make something from pumpkin, to be honest, I didn't find it taste great that time. Only recently my taste changes, strange huh?!

Angie, you MIA? Catch you up via pm later *wink*

Francesca, right, Friday! My favorite day in a week! You have a great weekend too! *baci*

Patricia, the triangles gave me more bites on plain pasta, I don't mind since I like it :DOh yeah? I can imagine all different foods, languages, culture and fun (!) going on when all you guys gather togher!

Ruth, thanks! Just went shopping today, yes, some of them just for your event :D

Lis darling, thanks! I think I just felt bored; liked to change this or that...

Shn, Dollar Shop!!!!!! They have yellow, blue, green... and rubber backing! Oh mine, I sound like I running that shop :P

Sandeepa, I love any pasta, home-made or store-bought, they're all pretty in my eye :DThanks for your new year's greeting *hug*

Gilly, thank you! I really don't want to do it again, now come to think of it already made me dizzy :P

Bea, yes I did. I remember you're a big fan of squash/ pumpkin.

Cedar, thanks for dropping by! You have a beautiful blog, I'll "see" you there :D